Ayatolla Khamenei Presides Over Ebrahim Raisi's Funeral

On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei led prayers at the funeral of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions. 

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The ceremony took place at the University of Tehran in front of the coffins of President Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the other six people who died in the helicopter crash that occurred on Sunday.

During the religious service, Ayatollah Khamenei was accompanied by government officials, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the speaker of the Parliament.

After the prayer, a procession began from the University of Tehran to Azadi Square, which was attended by thousands of people bidding farewell to Raisi.

Thousands of Iranians participated in the procession, holding pictures of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian. Some waved the Iranian flag, and people threw flowers over the coffins draped with the national emblem.

With shouts of “God is Greater,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel,” the crowd said their final goodbye to Raisi, reaffirming their loyalty to his revolutionary ideals, among which were support for the Palestinian nation and the defense of Iranian independence and sovereignty.

In the afternoon, another funeral ceremony will be held, to which about 20 international delegations have been invited. Among the attendees will be Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, and Baradar Akhund, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs of Afghanistan's interim government.

Iran has declared five days of national mourning, during which various ceremonies are being held in honor of the president and the foreign minister in different cities across the country.